Featured Research

from universities, journals, and other organizations

Anti-Epilepsy Drug Risk On Cognitive Function For Unborn Children

Date:

July 23, 2009

Source:

University of Liverpool

Summary:

Interim results of a new study suggest that children aged three years and younger, who are born to women taking the anti-epileptic drug sodium valproate whilst pregnant, are likely to have an IQ of six to nine points lower than average.

Share This

Interim results of a study being conducted by scientists at the University of Liverpool suggest that children aged three years and younger, who are born to women taking the anti-epileptic drug sodium valproate whilst pregnant, are likely to have an IQ of six to nine points lower than average.

Related Articles

The research, in collaboration with Emory University in the US and the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, tested more than 300 three-year-olds in the UK and US, whose mothers took one of four anti-epilepsy drugs (AEDs) whilst pregnant. The preliminary findings suggest that children exposed to the drug sodium valproate had lower IQ results than children exposed to other AEDs, regardless of the mother’s IQ. The results also took dosage, duration of pregnancy and mother’s consumption of folic acid whilst pregnant, into account.

Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the University, Gus Baker, said “Our research looked at how exposure to sodium valproate and other AEDs in the womb affected children’s everyday life – in particular their IQ, memory and language abilities from one to six years of age.”

Around 5,000 women with epilepsy become pregnant every year in the UK and the majority of these, including those on AEDs, will experience uncomplicated pregnancies and births. Previous research conducted by the team has already shown that children exposed to AEDs such as sodium valproate in the womb are more likely to suffer birth defects characterised by heart malformations, dysmorphic features and minor limb deformities.

Professor Baker added: “The answer is not as simple as to take women off AEDs altogether as the effects of suffering a seizure can also pose a risk for both mother and unborn child. It is vital that the research is now used to educate women with epilepsy before they start to plan for a family. Women need to be aware of the risks so that they can make informed choices with the help and advice of experts. It is also important that women do not stop taking AED treatment without taking advice from their medical practitioner.”

“It is important to stress that sodium valproate is used globally and it has a favourable safety profile for all adult patients who use it. It has a range of pharmaceutical uses including bipolar disorder, migraine, epilepsy, and in adults sodium valproate is extremely effective.”

The research, funded by the US National Institute of Health, is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

More From ScienceDaily

More Health & Medicine News

Featured Research

Mar. 3, 2015  New assays can detect malaria parasites in human blood at very low levels and might be helpful in the campaign to eradicate malaria, reports a new study. An international team led by Ingrid Felger, ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015  Adults over the age of 30 only catch flu about twice a decade, a new study suggests. So, while it may feel like more, flu-like illness can be caused by many pathogens, making it difficult to assess ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015  No significant change in home habits of smokers have been observed in the aftermath of a ban on smoking in public spaces, researchers report. Greater inspiration to kick the habit likely comes from ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015  Heart function has been associated with the development of dementia and Alzheimer's disease through a new study. Participants with decreased heart function, measured by cardiac index, were two to ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015  Children of recently separated or divorced families are likelier to drink sugar-sweetened beverages than children in families where the parents are married, putting them at higher risk for obesity ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015  Gastric bypass and similar stomach-shrinking surgeries are a popular option for obese patients looking to lose weight or treat type 2 diabetes. While the surgeries have been linked to a decreased ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015  Most people consume more salt than they need and therefore have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, which are the two leading causes of death worldwide. But a new study reveals that dietary ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015  Twice as many children born to mothers who took antibiotics during pregnancy were diagnosed with asthma by age 3 than children born to mothers who didn’t take prenatal antibiotics, a new study has ... full story

Mar. 3, 2015  Although sedatives are often administered before surgery, a randomized trial finds that among patients undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia, receiving the sedative lorazepam before ... full story

Featured Videos

Mom Triumphs Over Tragedy, Helps Other Families

AP (Mar. 3, 2015)  After her son, Dax, died from a rare form of leukemia, Julie Locke decided to give back to the doctors at St. Jude Children&apos;s Research Hospital who tried to save his life. She raised $1.6M to help other patients and their families. (March 3)
Video provided by AP

Looted and Leaking, South Sudan's Oil Wells Pose Health Risk

AFP (Mar. 3, 2015)  Thick black puddles and a looted, leaking ruin are all that remain of the Thar Jath oil treatment facility, once a crucial part of South Sudan&apos;s mainstay industry. Duration: 01:13
Video provided by AFP

Woman Convicted of Poisoning Son

AP (Mar. 3, 2015)  A woman who blogged for years about her son&apos;s constant health woes was convicted Monday of poisoning him to death by force-feeding heavy concentrations of sodium through his stomach tube. (March 3)
Video provided by AP

Related Stories

Oct. 29, 2014  A new study highlights the difficult decisions women with epilepsy have to face when they become pregnant. Taking certain drugs used to control epilepsy during pregnancy may be linked to ... full story

Jan. 8, 2014  A new study finds that the epilepsy drug levetiracetam appears not to be associated with thinking, movement and language problems for preschool children born to mothers who took the drug during ... full story

Apr. 23, 2013  Maternal use of valproate (a drug used for the treatment of epilepsy and other neuropsychological disorders) during pregnancy was associated with a significantly increased risk of autism in ... full story

Jan. 31, 2013  Children whose mothers take the antiepileptic drug sodium valproate while pregnant are at significantly increased risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, suggests a small ... full story

Nov. 24, 2010  There's good news for women with epilepsy. Breastfeeding your baby while taking your seizure medication may have no harmful effect on your child's IQ later on, according to a new ... full story

ScienceDaily features breaking news and videos about the latest discoveries in health, technology, the environment, and more -- from major news services and leading universities, scientific journals, and research organizations.